August FO's

A few weeks ago I talked about all of the WIPs I had on my needles and how I seemed to just keep casting on more and more things.  Well I'm happy to say today that many of those WIPs have found their way off my needles, with plenty of time left in the year to make even more things!

The biggest of these is my Fallen Moon Drops Cowl, which I designed myself with my handdyed yarn.  I was really nervous about this as I got to the bottom as I wasn't sure how the holes would work out with the feather and fan, but after blocking they turns out perfect! I even discovered a new bind-off that is perfect for any type of lace knitting.  The Frilled Standard Bind-off is a great way to end any type of wavy lace design and stretches so nicely.

The next thing that I finished is a bit of a miracle. But knowing my knitting skills, maybe not so much.  I mentioned wanting to knit a pair of socks for my little sister using some Neon sock yarn.  Well I was able to cast on those socks over my long weekend last week and finished them in exactly a week! I ended up not using that neon yarn as it was scratchy and she gets irritated easily.  So I went with some self striping that I had scraps of and paired it with black mini-mochi to make up the difference. I had just enough to finish the pair and gifted them to her this past Sunday.  She didn't try them on there so hopefully they fit!

Her entire birthday gift! She turns 11 tomorrow!

I also finished those dishcloths I mentioned and gifted them, and the crochet tank I had is currently in time out, likely to be ripped, as it doesn't stretch and is too small.  I guess you can't win them all.

With all of these things done, I've been working on my Breathing Space sweater, which is turning out really nice.  I plan to cast on my September socks soon too, but I can't settle on a pattern or yarn.  Sigh.

My final FO for now is a painting that took me over a month to complete.  With school starting, the dye business going and just the realities of life, it's been hard to really focus on new paintings.

Currently untitled, this painting is an extension of the glowing tidepool-esque paintings I have been working on.  I like this one with the blue, but I feel the first three were more successful.

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I hope everyone is having a good start to the month and if you had the day off yesterday, you were able to enjoy yourself. I got quite a bit done so I can't really complain.

~Lisa

The Knitting Police

Ever feel like you just have too many WIPs on your needles?  While most knitters will laugh and say "There's no knitting police!" or "There's never too many",  I still feel some days that maybe I'm overwhelming myself with projects.

Today is one of those days, as I sit back and look at all the projects I have started and realize that the odds of finishing them all by Christmas is a pretty lofty goal.

First on my list is the cowl that I am designing with my handdyed yarn in the colorway "Fallen Moon Drops".  Featuring staggered double-yarnover holes and a feather and fan border, this is coming a long nicely.  I'm hoping to write up and publish the pattern before my first festival showing. 

Something inside of me felt an impulse last week to knit some dishcloths for a friend who just moved, despite the overwhelming load of knitting/art/work things I already have on my plate.  Luckily, these are fast and I should be done with the set of three by tonight.

I need to return to my Breathing Space sweater soon also, as I would love to have it done in time to wear when it finally gets cooler here.  However, all these other WIPs seem to be calling me instead.  I do enjoy the beauty of the teal paired with the green though and will hopefully return to this come September.

Started at the beginning of the summer as a crochet tank top, I ran out of yarn after the first side and gave up.  And then a miracle happened and one of our Guild members had some of the same yarn she was destashing.  I grabbed that up and went to town, turning this tank into a tee that I can hopefully wear to work.  Right now I'm just starting the back side, crocheting it all in once piece and then folding it over to seam.

Last, but not least, is something I NEED to start, but haven't had time to.  The year of socks has come to a halt, as I haven't done any for August yet and even if I start them now, probably won't be able to catch up to 12 pairs.  However, I do know what my next pair will be! I participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters and my little turns 11 next month.  She always envies my knitting and I just know she'd love a pair of socks.  So if all goes according to plan, this yarn will become a new pair for her. ;)

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Whats on your needles right now? Too many or not enough? Has the knitting police found you yet!? 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll see you on the flip side.

~Lisa

Selfish Designing

I consider myself a pretty good designer.  Not that I've been in any publications or want to give up my day job, but sometimes the bug just bites and I'm able to design something better than what I can find online. 

After finishing my latest "self-design" (see bottom of post), I realized that I have a lot of things on Ravelry that I designed and never published a pattern for.  Some of them I swore I would, others I just didn't have time to write up.  And then deciding if you want to get it tested and proofed.  It all just takes so much time! And so today's post is dedicated to projects from the last 2-3 years that were designed by me but never published as patterns. 

Starting with the oldest is Stricken Socks, "Stricken" meaning "knit" in German. The design came about when I found a triangle motif that I adapted to look like enlarged knitted V's.  The yarn used was Blue Ridge Yarns, Subtle Shades in a violet color.  Sadly these socks came out a bit tight (the yarn was really thin) and also the color has since become patchy-faded from washing.  I do like the motif though and may re-work it into a pair this year. 

Next up on the list is my Woven Colors Shawl, made with two skeins of Ella Rae Lace Merino Worsted that I bought on a road trip. I love these two colors together and wanted a way to play with them.  I love my woven design, but the overall shawl didn't really work out. It's heavy and I attempted this weird sleeve thing.  I keep saying I'll rip it out and try something else but I haven't yet.  

More colorwork, this time with some local alpaca, the Alpaca Weave hat and mitts set was fun to do. I wanted to play again with the idea of the colors interacting and chose to use a mosaic technique to create the squares. I don't actually remember the exact way I did this, but I would love to publish it someday (Guess I need to be looking back through my journals for the chart!)  And see the ribbon? The ranch that made the yarn took a bunch of projects from our knit group to an event and I won a ribbon. 

Maybe you saw an earlier post this year about the playfully titled Unicorn Farts that I made with some rainbow wool.  I have really gotten into the idea of using mosaic knitting when it comes to two colors and that showed up again in this one.  If I were to publish or write this one up, I'd do it with different yarn (maybe from the blue/yellow above??) just because both of these yarns were super random.

The main inspiration for today's post was Eagle's Wings, a two colored half-pi shawl I started last October with my school (I teach at) colors.  The purple is actually left over from those Stricken Socks, while the gold is a clearance skein of Shibui Staccato.  I started with stripes of purple stockinette and gold drop stitches, but because I had less purple I ended up running out and chose to do a gold feather/fan border with beads.  It's not as massive as I wish, but I also was in a hurry to finish it up.  My knitting group thinks I need to publish this one.  I'm not sure if I will. 

Anyone reading ever design? Do you publish your designs or keep them to yourself? Do you find yourself taking an already published design and changing things up? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have a fabulous week.

~Lisa

In a Flash

This past month seems to have been a blur for me.  Here it is, January 9th already, and yet it seems like we just had Thanksgiving.  Am I the only one thinking this right now?

Maybe it's because of my two trips home for the holidays, barely a month apart.  Driving 12+ hours one way is no fun trip, and for some crazy reason I decided to do it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.  Yes I am insane.

But if anything came from having the holidays, it was some much needed knitting and relaxation time.  Being able to see my family and friends and not stress out about work or life or art was really helpful.  And having some extra time to get some knitting done didn't hurt either, especially over Christmas.

My first holiday finished object was this beautiful bag for my secret santa in our local knitting guild. She really likes the color red, so I knitted her a Sock Baggie with some fluffy red wool.  The bag itself got loaded with lots of goodies.

The next item on my list was this beanie for a friend, Jordan, who just went abroad to the UK.  She commented that she wanted more beanies before she left and this seemed appropriate.  I even managed to find the time to publish the design on Ravelry (it's FREE!)

Third was my secret santa at work - one of our science teachers.  He said he liked tea, so I knitted him this cozy - Tea-N-A - and gave him some tea and goodies to go with it. Safe to say he loved the gifts!

Knitted while I was home over the Christmas, this cloud cowl is a design from my local yarn shop using a single skein of Bamboo Bloom to create a light and airy piece.  I made this for my boss at my second job because she tends to wear simple yet artsy things.  Despite the simple design, she was very impressed.

My last project at home was this messy bun hat for another one of my co-workers who usually has her hair up.  While I don't personally see the point of this craze, it seemed fitting.  And the trend continued when she loved it.

It's always such a thrill to knit for others, especially this time of the year! The happiness and joy that a handmade item can bring is something I truly cherish.  Did you make any gifts this year?

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One last thing in terms of the title for this post.  While I was home over the Christmas holiday my younger sister cued me into a tv show - The Flash - based off of the DC comics.  While I have always been a Marvel fan, this show quickly became an addiction.  So much that I was able to whip out a whole project during my week and a half binging spree.

The rainbow yarn is a gift from my brother's fiance - she got bored one day and decided to try dying - and the white is from my stash.  I decided to do a diagonal slip-stitch stripe design, and the result is a nice heavy wool cowl.  I playfully am calling this "Unicorn Farts" simply because of the color.  Like I mentioned above, I started this right around episode 10 of Season 1 and finished it during the last half of season 2. What can I say, it's a good show.

 Thank you to all the people who may see this and take the time to read and review.  Starting next week I'll have more professional photos - I finally found the memory card for my good camera - as well as an update on my art show that opens Saturday.

Love Always <3 br="">~Lisa

(because I couldn't find any good flash themed Cat memes)

Changes....

"Ch,ch,ch,ch...changes"

Quoting David Bowie today (may he rest in peace) as I have finally decided to change URLs to reflect the rest of this blog.  I hope you were able to find me OK! 

First on my list for this week is this handspun.  It's not perfect by any means - I literally had to fix every part of my wheel at some point during the creation of this yarn! It's 300 yards of dyed BFL, much bluer than in this photo. 

In the category of finished objects is my double knit cowl.  I finally got around to photograph it being worn, and I love the way it fits nice and sung. Perfect for cold  nights!

I also am working on some socks, because that sweater is just not calling my name right now.  These are with a ball of Crazy Zauberball that I divided up to make stripes. I am already at the heel and loving the way they are turning out :) 

Out in art world is my most recent painting.  I finally got my studio set up and am working on this guy currently.  Not as much as I should be, but enough.  I should have it done by this weekend.

Weekly Inspirations:

Art:  Currently I am using The Lion King as my inspiration painting.  The one above came from a scene, and there are few more stills that have my eye.  Do you have a favorite inspiring movie?
Knitting: I'm working a fish lips kiss heel for my socks.  Ever heard of it? I'm really liking it!
Food: I made a Thai kit for dinner last week.  Want a brief lowdown? It's here! (Hint - it was tasty!)
Life: My parents drove down from Kansas this past weekend to bring a few unpackable gifts and my art from my show last summer.  It was nice having them here to share my TX experiences with, as well as a chance for me to clean my apartment! haha. 

Hope you all have a creative week!

On My Needles

Another week is flying by and I feel like I have been widely unproductive. Despite the fact that I really have gotten a lot done. Anyone ever feel that way?

On my needles this week I have three new projects.

"Untitled" knit in Blue Ridge Yarns Subtle Shades

Last week I talked about how I am designing all of my socks this year. The next pair has begun and I am really liking it. I settled on a mock cable pattern that I altered a bit to look like large "V's". basically giant knit stitches that have been knit. Clever right? Lately I have really liked putting the stitch motif on everything. From shoes to mugs to scarves. So why not put them IN my knitting too? I still need a name for this though, suggestions are welcomed.  :) 

"Purple Opals" knit in Cascade Ultra Pima

At this point, you are probably thinking I am having a love affair with purple. That's kind of true, although I started the above before my socks. The sock yarn was grabbed at random from my stash. And these are the only two purple yarns I own. Go figure.

But seriously, the above is a new tee, Fire Opal Tee, from an issue of Knitscene. What I like about this project is the way it allows the yarn to really shine. It may not look like much now, but once it's done you drop some stitches and the cables suddenly appear. I wish it knitted up faster though. 

"Gap-Tastic Blue" knit in Cascade Eco +

Finally I have the Gap-tastic cowl started also. This is my new "movie theater" knit. It has quite a few mistakes from my last go, but I guess that's what happens when you try seed stitch in the dark. Honestly, I don't mind. It keeps my hands busy and uses up old yarn. Win Win in my book.

Weekly Inspirations:

Knitting - I'm knitting a scrap yarn bra! Before you get any ideas, it's for a fundraiser. I hope it works out. I'll share pictures when it's done.

Art - I have a couple of pieces in the show "From Every Fiber" in College Station, TX. The whole show is amazing. Art ranges from a giant knitted portrait to homemade paper flowers to felted paintings.
Food - If you have a Trader Joe's near you, I highly recommend buying a jar of the Satay Peanut Sauce. I had some that I have been putting with veggies this week and it's been a real treat.
Life - It's been 60/70 here all week. The best weather for coffee shop patio knitting. This week's adventure took me to The Village Downtown and an amazing Sangria Sunrise (who said coffee shops had to include coffee?)

I hope that the rest of the week and the weekend brings you great joy. I am hoping for a relaxing one.

~Lisa 

FO Friday: Spin to Knit Success!!

Happy Friday everyone! It's been one heck of a stressful week,and next week will be worse. I'll spare you the story of me and my art troubles though and let you hear something more pleasant.

I just realized I never showed you all my lovely golden cowl that I finished at the beginning of my Thanksgiving break.

You may all remember this lovely yarn I spun up during Tour de Fleece last summer, from a 50/50 Merino and Tencel blend.

It's definitely my favorite and most proud handspun, and I couldn't let it sit in my stash for long! But what do you do with 110 yards?? Not much, that's for sure. So I started hunting for patterns and decided a cowl/infinity scarf would be my best bet, and that whatever it was it would be pretty skinny and more decorative than anything. 

Eventually I decided on the Infinitude Scarf, and figured it was my best bet for this yarn. Super basic and easily adjustable to my yardage. I decided to make the small size, and  changed the ribbing to 10 rounds instead of the 15 it calls for. From there I just worked the pattern until I ran out of yarn. I think I got about half as many repeats as it called for. 

 When I first started working on this, I wasn't sure if it would be warm or not because of the huge amount of Tencel in the yarn, which made it really slick.  But it has quickly become a favorite accessory of mine! I love having something I can just throw over my neck and the way it curls and twists is so fun too. I don't even mind that the back side tends to make an appearance quite a bit -- it looks pretty too. I think it's the yarn :) This is probably my best spin - to - knit project to date, that's for sure!

Well I hope the weekend treats you all well. I'll be in studio for most of it. Everything is due in a week and a half; YIKES!

~Lisa

For more FO's Check out Tami's Amis!

A Warm Wool Winter

Winter vacation is always a great time for getting some serious knitting done, and this year was no exception. I still have a week left of break, and it will be spent finishing a painting, working at the pre-school and hopefully some more knitting time!

Winter vacation was barely winter this year. The weather has been in the 40's and 50's the whole time and we have only had one fluke snow storm here in Kansas. The combination of the warm weather and the excessive fiber art that was going on in my house leads me to call this a very Warm Wool Winter.

The first thing I decided to conquer with my newly found free time was this amazing pair of socks.

Knitted using magic loop, one at a time, and Zitron Trekking 6ply (one of my new favorite sock yarns, yet very hard to find). The pattern is Soft Waves from the book Toe-up Two at a Time Socks, which I used to teach my self the toe up technique, something I had never tried before. I think it was a complete success!

While I was knitting on the socks, I was also finishing up my purple wool that I started way back this summer. I managed to finish this by the end of week one, and got it plyed and set on Christmas Day.

As a knitter, I couldn't just let the yarn sit in a plastic bag in my drawer. So I decided that there was actually enough to make something with and found the perfect pattern: Diagonal ribbed cowl. Knit on size 8 fixed circs, I had this thing done in less than 3 days.

Finishing this led me to need a new project to work on and so I decided to spin up the amazing 100% alpaca roving I purchased back in October. It was so soft, but really hard to draft because of this. The end result is something I am really proud of and one of the better yarns I ever spun.

The original roving was black, tan and white striped, so I didn't want to lose that pretty design in the final product and therefor I didn't pull apart pieces the way I usually do, and in turn I didn't produce as much yarn. I did produce enough to finish a hat though! The had is very soft and I absolutely love it! It's a little big, which means I should have cast on a few less stitches, but when you have thick and thin yarn (like all my handspun tends to be) it's hard to figure out the gauge, let alone knit a gauge swatch. That's one of my goals, to one day be able to figure out the gauge and 'weight' of the yarn that I have spun.

In between the cowl and the hat I was able to work on my Effortless Cardigan and it is slowly coming together. It still has quite a bit to go though.

With one week left, I plan to work on my ever growing collection of Relay for Life Dishcloths; hopefully I'll get 2 or 3 more done, so I can have a decent amount to sell this spring at farmer's market.

I hope all my readers are enjoying any time off and are keeping to any New Years resolutions. Until next time,

~Lisa